How to increase sales with a loyalty card

Customer loyalty is a key strategy for any business that wants to grow sustainably. While attracting new customers is important, getting them to return again and again is what truly drives long-term growth. One of the most effective tools to achieve this is the loyalty card.

Loyalty cards let you reward customers for their loyalty, increasing purchase frequency and average ticket. In this article, we explore how a digital loyalty card can help you lift sales and how to implement it effectively in your business.

Why a loyalty card can increase sales

Loyalty cards work by encouraging customers to return to your business to collect points, stamps, or rewards. According to studies by Harvard Business Review, retaining a customer is up to seven times more profitable than acquiring a new one. Loyal customers also spend more on each purchase.

Key benefits of implementing a loyalty card include:

• Higher purchase frequency: Customers come back more often to reach their rewards.
• Higher average ticket: To obtain benefits faster, many customers spend more on each visit.
• Differentiation from competitors: Offering exclusive incentives makes your business the best option.
• Lower acquisition costs: By building loyalty you spend less on advertising and prospecting.

A well-structured loyalty program can increase sales by up to 20% in some sectors, according to industry reports.

How to design an effective loyalty card

For a loyalty card to truly help increase sales, it must be well designed and attractive to customers. Here are key steps:

1. Define the rewards system

Before launching your loyalty card, decide how customers will accumulate benefits. Effective options include:

• Per purchase: Each receipt earns points.
• By amount spent: The more they spend, the more rewards.
• By visits: After a given number of visits, they obtain a benefit.

Example: “For every €10 spent you earn 1 point. With 50 points you get 20% off your next purchase.”

2. Offer achievable rewards

If the reward is hard to obtain, customers will lose interest. Keep goals realistic:

• A free coffee after five purchases.
• Ten percent off upon reaching 100 points.
• One free product on the tenth visit.

Example: Instead of a “generic 5% discount,” try “Free breakfast on your 5th visit.” Specific offers generate higher perceived value.

3. Use a digital loyalty card

Physical cards can be lost, forgotten, or go unused. Digital loyalty cards make management easier and improve the customer experience.

With a digital card like Promotty’s, customers can:

• Access their points balance from their phone.
• See available rewards at any time.
• Redeem benefits without physical cards.

Example of sales increase with a loyalty card

A restaurant implemented a digital card where customers collected stamps with each meal. In three months they achieved:

• 20% more repeat visits.
• 15% increase in average ticket.
• Greater customer retention, lowering acquisition costs.

The key was to communicate it well and offer a clear benefit: “Have lunch with us five times and the sixth meal is free.”

Strategies to amplify a loyalty card’s impact

If you want to maximise sales with your loyalty card, try these strategies:

• Promote the program: Use signage, social media, and push notifications to remind customers they can collect rewards.
• Create exclusive events: A “VIP Day” with special member discounts can drive participation.
• Segment offers: Not everyone wants the same thing. Personalise promotions based on purchase history.
• Add gamification: A premium level or surprise prizes can add extra interest.

If you want to start building loyalty and increase your sales, Promotty offers a free digital loyalty card that is easy to manage.

• Set it up in minutes.
• Forget about printing physical cards.
• Measure results in real time.

If you want to dive deeper into how loyalty cards work and learn more strategies to retain customers, we recommend this article on loyalty promotions in shops.